Asthma is an allergy and is triggered by something. The best non medication treatment for asthma is learning your triggers and avoiding them. Common triggers are smoke, dust, mold, mildew, plants, dust mites, pets and grass/weeds.

If you can not figure our your triggers, you may need to see an allergist and have allergy screening done. This may point out your triggers.

The National Asthma Prevention Program and the Expert Panel of Diagnosis and Management of Asthma both agree if you have to use a prescription inhaler such as albuterol more then two time per week, your asthma is NOT in control and you will need a prescription controller medication.

Definitely, especially if the asthma isn't controlled. I heard of a girl dying in front of a chemist, because she didn't have her puffer and at that time it was illegal for the chemist to hand the medication over without a prescription. The ambulance arrived too late.

Moral of the story, check with your doctor if you don't think your asthma is under control and always make sure you have a reliever puffer with you no matter how under control your asthma is there might be something that will trigger an attack where you are going.

Is it possible to survive an attack without meds??? Well really it depends on the severity. Yes is the answer to mild and those brought on by certain conditions. These do depend on the person as well. If your attacks are always severe then taking the meds would be the thing to do. Find a med that helps with as few side effects as possible. My medication (when I needed it) only reduced the breathing problem not eliminated it. SO I suffered with hard breathing for an hour but at least it was breathing. Slowly things went back to normal. There were times when I had attacks and no meds with me so I suffered. I did learn that relaxing and just working on breathing worked better than anything else to recover enough to move. If yours is severe then use the meds. They do help and if it slows you down for an hour, so be it. Better that then going to a hospital.

On 10/26/13, my 17 year old son had a bad exercise induced asthma attack that caused his heart to stop. First, thank you God, the EMS paramedics brought him back (10-12 minutes it took) and the wonderful staff at Cook s Children in Fort Worth took great care and worked miracles after a month long stay. 2 years later, my son only has minor brain damage, this is a miracle of God and we give thanks everyday he is with us.

A young resident doctor recently died from an asthma attack while her inhaler was on the kitchen counter, she couldn't get to it in time. My daughter was rushed to the hospital several times when she had attacks. I had several attacks but, had my inhaler handy. People die everyday from asthma attacks.